On the day the West Bengal election 2021 is set to begin, Modi would be visiting a Matua temple in Orakandi in Bangladesh. Schedule for the upcoming elections in India (four states and a UT) was announced on February, 26, 2021. In West Bengal, the election will be held in 8 phases from March 27 to April, 29 and the vote counting will take place on May, 02, 2021.
Also See: Would West Bengal election really be a three-way fight after the defections?
Though the official reason for the Bangladesh-trip is participating in the 50th anniversary celebrations of Bangladesh’s independence, the timing set at the beginning of the election in West Bengal 2021 cannot be unseen. BJP MP from Bongaon, Shantanu Thakur would be present at Orakandi during Modi’s visit.
Harichand Thakur and Guruchand Thakur, Gurus of Matuas were born in Orakandi, which is the cradle of Matua Mahasangha, which is largely comprised of Namasudras. Matuas believe in the idea of self-realization and many of them had migrated to West Bengal after the 1947-partition and had mostly settled around Thakurnagar in the Indian state.
In Bangladesh, some Left-front groups and Islamic organizations have shown opposition to the trip of Modi. In this regard, the authorities in Bangladesh have ruled out any security threat to the Indian delegation. Junior foreign minister of Bangaldesh, Shahriar Alam criticized Bangladesh Nationalist party, the opposition in the country for protesting against the visit by Indian delegation stating that they should refrain from double standards as earlier they had praised Modi in his first term (2014-19).
Given the timing of the schedule of the visit during the West Bengal election, RTI activist Saket Gokhale has filed a representation affidavit with the Election commission of India, with regards to PM’s visit to Orakandi which bears influence over 29 assembly seats in West Bengal, specifically in north 24 paraganas and Nadia.
Activist Gokhale had earlier disproved the Tukde-tukde idea, (that was spread by the BJP-IT cell) using RTI approach, when the Home ministry had admitted that they have no definition or SOP related to the said category of people.
In order to ensure that the visit does not influence the election, Gokhale, in his affidavit, has made three specific demands. He has asked for a copy of the speech to be given by the PM at Orakandi. He further asked that all the TV channels should broadcast Modi’s Orakandi programme on March 27, only after 6 pm, when the polling ends for the day. Gokhale also asked the election commission to restrain BJP from using the state-visit for election campaigning.
Saket Gokhale has persistently brought matters which are directly related to public importance, for example-issues like PMCARES, issue of Raju Sabnani, the issue of vaccination and others, under the public light. This has always put the central government in a tight spot. Response of the Election commission of India to the representation affidavit would show whether it really is free of influence from BJP. Influence of saffron party over ECI has been blamed by many (especially TMC leaders). It is time for the nation to see whether the ECI is truly free of BJP’s influence.
